Isaac evacuation reduced in Mobile at order of Mayor Sam Jones (update)

View full sizeMobile Mayor Sam Jones Reduced the mandatory evacuation area in the city of Mobile to only low lying areas close to flood-prone waterways.

MOBILE, Alabama --

As Tropical Storm Isaac drifted west away from the Mobile this afternoon, Mayor Sam Jones reduced the mandatory evacuation area to only those neighborhoods immediately adjacent to waterways prone to flooding.

Those areas include the neighborhoods around Three Mile Creek, Dog River and the waterfront along Mobile Bay.

Jones’ new orders briefly conflicted with a much larger evacuation ordered by Gov. Robert Bentley, who had previously ordered the mandatory evacuation of all Zone 1 and Zone 2 in Mobile County. Those zones cover all neighborhoods south of Interstate 10 and east of Interstate 65.

Shortly after Jones announced the change, Bentley amended his evacuation plan to match, reducing the mandatory evacuation from all of Zone 1 and Zone 2 to only Dauphin Island and low-lying areas.

Jones said that, when he first heard about Bentley’s massive evacuation order Sunday night, his first thought was, “Was there any local input in that decision?”

This morning, Jones said, he spoke with the governor by phone and explained that in the city of Mobile, most of the areas that Bentley had ordered evacuated have never flooded due to a hurricane storm surge.

Jones said that Bentley's first order was made without input from the city. However, Jones said, once the city made its case, demonstrating that most areas in the mass evacuation zone were in little danger, Bentley was “very open,” to reducing the affected area.

Jones said that a mandatory evacuation for all of Zone 1 and Zone 2 would have forced the city to empty out hotels downtown as well as hospitals and nursing homes.

Police would then have had to go door to door across those zones to urge thousands more people to evacuate, Jones said. With the reduced evacuation zones, police will be able to focus their efforts, he said.

“A mandatory evacuation of an area that size would have required a tremendous amount of resources,” Jones said. “It’s not something you want to do unless it is absolutely necessary."

The mayor praised Bentley for being proactive in declaring a state of emergency, however, as it puts people on notice that the situation is serious and prepares for the application of more resources if necessary.

Asked, if the governor had acted hastily, Jones demurred. "You'll have to ask the governor that," he said.

Jones said that the city would be open for business Tuesday, including the City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting.

Rather than a 9 a.m. conference meeting followed by a formal meeting at 10:30 a.m., the council will meet only at 9 a.m.

Garbage pickup in the city will be suspended Tuesday.

Jones urged citizens to sign up for the city’s emergency alert notification system by dialing 311 or 251-208-5311.